You know those comic books that you take a look at the artwork and know instantly that you need to get it without even needing to know what it is about? Blade of the North Wind: Volume 1 was one such book for me.
It is set in Artharú, where monsters and dark magic exist. The story follows a boy named Drasin, whose village is attacked by one such tribe of monsters known as the Kgarra. The attack transforms Drasin from an idealistic youth into a warrior who embarks on a quest.
The book almost reads more like a silent movie than a comic book. The stunning visuals carry the bulk of the storytelling, while the succinct narration works to fill in the details. The mostly black-and-white artwork manages to convey a fantastically dark world that makes the reader want to see more.
Volume 1 does a great job at establishing this world and the characters; however, I feel like the story really starts in the last couple of pages. I look forward to Volume 2 and hope that it fulfills the promise in this book of an epic saga.